Norton Motorcycles Norton Motorcycles GREATNESS Norton Motorcycles are among the most popular, fastest, best handling and sexiest of all Classic British Motorcycles. The Norton Commando (1969-1977) was the world’s first production Superbike, and one of the most desirable machines of all time. It represented the best that the British motorcycle industry had to offer at the time. It was a genuine game-changer. Another game-changer was the Norton Manx , the 500cc single that dominated GPs and Isle of Man TT for over a decade. The Norton Dominator , Atlas , Norton International and Norton P11 are also part of the Norton Motorcycle story. ABOVE: This 1953 Norton Manx GP Racer epitomizes Norton's advanced technology for the day: Featherbed Frame, Road Holder forks, Dual Overhead Cam engine, it was all there...and it worked! NORTON HISTORY James Lansdowne Norton, started Norton Motorcycles in 1901 and began producing motorcycles in 1902 using French and Swiss engines.

By 1907, Norton was winning TT races, including the first ever Isle of Man TT, which began a racing tradition that drove the company well into the 1960s. By 1913, the company was having financial difficulties, so Norton brought in Bob Shelley who brought with him his brother-in-law, Dan O’Donovan, who developed their first production race bike, the BS 490, and the die was cast. From then on, Norton would literally “Win on Sunday and sell on Monday”, using their racing victories as the basis of their entire marketing strategy. And apparently it worked. ABOVE: 1948 Norton ES2 in classic Norton colors, Silver and Black. WARTIME PRODUCTION James Norton died in 1925 at just 56 years old, but business, and racing were never better. In 1927 the Norton CS1 was released as a Super Sport Roadster and it was a hit! Racing successes continued throughout the 1930s under the able leadership of Joe Craig. While this lead to sales, Norton always seemed to be one step away from bankruptcy.

When World War II broke out, Norton Motorcycles product line consisted of all single-cylinder machines, in side-valve, OHV and SOHC variants & despite being known for high performance bikes was commissioned by the War Department to build the primitive side valve Norton 16H. They produced over 100,000 units, which helped fill the company’s coffers. WAR ENDS, BACK TO BUSINESS When the war ended, Norton went back to work making motorcycles for the civilian market. Most of the British home market was still made up largely of singles and Norton had several & development continued on them. In 1937 Triumph introduced their revolutionary Triumph Speed Twin 500cc, which set the pattern for every other vertical twin to follow for the next several decades. Norton needed a twin. In 1949 they introduced their 500cc Norton Dominator Model 7, designed by Bert Hopwood. By 1952, they’d added an alloy head & dropped it into the new Featherbed frame and created the Norton Dominator 88 . Norton’s tradition for building fast twins was established.

FEATHERBED FRAME The Featherbed frame was designed by Rex and McCandless for the 500cc SOHC single in 1950, creating the Norton Manx. When Norton Motorcycles racing team leader, Harold Daniels rode it for the first time, he described it as having a “featherbed ride”, and the name stuck. The Featherbed was state-of-the-art in its day and helped Norton establish itself as one of the best handling motorcycles in the world. This versatile frame served Norton until it was replaced on the Norton Commando with the new Isolastic frame in 1969. A further improvement to Norton’s already legendary handling brought with it yet another name, the “Roadholder” telescopic front forks, introduced in 1947. A GENIUS IN THEIR MIDST While Norton Motorcycles continued to flirt with insolvency, a few things did go their way. Leo Kusmicki was one of them. He had been in the Polish Free Air Force during the war and stayed on in England, taking a menial job at Norton, until it was discovered that he was one of Poland’s top experts on internal combustion engines.

Craig quickly set him to the task of modernizing the fleet. He massaged the 350 single from 28hp @ 7200 rpm to 36hp @ 8000 rpm. He later did the same with the 500 singles. Another lucky break was Geoff Duke, who rode the Norton Manx to victory in 6 World Championships, 5 Isle of Man TT s and number Junior & Senior TTs. By 1955, further financial woes forced Norton to stop racing and put its focus on sales. However, lots of privateers continued to race and win on Nortons. ABOVE: This 1957 Norton Dominator combines the Featherbed frame with Roadholder front forks and the robust Norton twin engine. AMC TAKES OVER NORTON By 1952, Norton was in trouble again. Always on the edge anyway, the switch over to the world-beating Featherbed frame carried with it some problems. First off, buyers were reluctant to buy the old models once word got out about the new Featherbed Nortons.

Secondly, the frames were welded out of Reynolds 531 steel tubing, which was very hard to come by in the early 1950s. Shortages of the stuff lead to supply problems that held up & limited production to such low numbers that Norton couldn’t make a profit. In 1953 AMC (Associated Motor Cycles Ltd.), owners of Matchless and AJS among others, stepped in and took over Norton Motorcycles. At first they left well enough alone & Norton benefitted somewhat from their economy of scale & some parts bin sharing. But, AMC ’s management style, soon to be their own undoing, wasn’t very good for Norton either. ABOVE: The 750cc Norton Atlas followed the 650cc Dominator . This one is a 1966 Atlas . A NEW TWIN While the Norton Manx remained in production until 1962, the real business was in twins. Triumph , BSA , Matchless-AJS and Royal Enfield were all doing big business with their vertical twins.

Norton had already had a solid line of successful twins, the Norton Dominator series, from the 500cc 1949 Norton Model 7, to the Norton Model 88 produced until 1966. They even punched it out to 650cc for the 1962-68 Norton Dominator 650SS. But even this wasn’t enough. They punched that engine out again (68mm X 73mm) to 750cc for the Norton Atlas series, 1962 through 1968, all with the now-legendary Norton Featherbed frame. This frame was so prized for its excellent handling that people would adapt other engines to it in hybrids that became known by names like Norvin (Norton Featherbed frame with a Vincent engine) and Triton (Triumph engine and Norton Featherbed frame). ABOVE: 1969 Norton 650SS was one of the last Nortons to use the Featherbed Frame. GOOD VIBRATIONS But no matter how good the handling, as the engine & its power output grew, so did the problem of vibration.

It was the same one that vexed all makers of vertical twins in those days, meaning the British motorcycle industry as a whole. By 1966, Norton owner, AMC was now itself in trouble & was bought up by Manganese Bronze Holdings Ltd, owners of Villiers & Norton-Villiers was established under the leadership of Dennis Poore, a true motorcycle enthusiast. This was a welcome change since many of the former AMC board were not. The new owners infused much-needed capital & launched a development program that would ultimately spawn the Norton Commando , under the direction of Dr. Stefan Bauer of Villiers. He set out to tackle the biggest problem that all Norton Motorcycles faced: vibration. ABOVE: Isolastic Suspension as used on the Commando rubber-mounted the engine and swing arm to the frame to isolate the rider from typical vertical twin vibration. It worked! ISOLASTIC SUSPENSION His solution was quite revolutionary at the time. Essentially, he suspended the entire engine-gearbox package on rubber mounts, attached the swing arm pivot to the back of the engine to keep the chain travel constant & to give the vibration a path to the ground (out the back wheel).

He called it Isolastic Suspension & it made the new 1969 Norton Commando 750 an overnight sensation! The Norton Commando became the seminal Norton and the sole model that carried it to its demise in 1975. In 1973, the ancient vertical twin that started out life at 500cc in the 1949 Norton Model 7, had been punched out to 600cc for the 1956 Norton Model 77 & Model 99, then again to 650cc for the 1962 Norton Dominator 650SS, and yet one more time to 750cc for the 1962 Norton Atlas, was yet again enlarged, this time to 850cc for Commando duty. In 1975, it grew an electric starter, then died shortly thereafter. Norton was in receivership by 1975, control of the factory jostled back & forth, but a few more Commandos trickled out in 1976 and 1977, with the last few finally being sold as 1978's.

COMMANDO HITS THE GROUND RUNNING The Commando was a big hit for Norton, and by the standards of the British motorcycle industry of the day, it was. However, it was never produced in huge numbers when compared to the prodigious output of the Japanese Big 4 . It's not like anyone who was a typical Honda buyer would be cross-shopping any British twin. But the Commando appealed to a very definite niche. First off, it was an elegantly handsome machine, with the appearance of being beautifully crafted. It was fast, in fast at one point, the fastest production bike in the world. It's handling was the envy of the entire motorcycle industry. And thanks to Isolastic Suspension, it was even smooth. It was also expensive, but people didn't mind paying a little more for something so special. In it's lifespan, 1969 through 1977 or so, the Commando spawned numerous sub-models and/or bodystyles. The Fastback was the first to be introduced in 1969, and had a cafe-style fiberglass rear fender and special seat.

Next up was the Roadster in late 1969, considered the standard version, and the one most people think of when you say "Commando". The Interstate was a long-range touring version with a larger fuel tank and bigger seat. The crazy Hi-Rider was Norton's attempt at a factory chopper, at which they failed miserably. The Production Racer looked like an all-out racer with long tank, bumstop seat, half fairing, clip-on handlebars and rearset pegs. Finally, the John Player Norton (JPN) was a holomogated factory road racer, at least in appearance. While looking all the park with it's full fairing, big tank, low bars and dual headlights, both the JPN and the Production Racer were basically stock Commandos, mechanically identical to every other other. They were all essentially appearance packages, brilliantly executed, and produced in sufficiently low numbers. In this same time, Norton experimented with a short-stroke engine, and the radically-tuned "Combat" engine, which only seemed to do combat with it's own internal parts, as they were prone to constant problems.

The venerable old twin engine that started out as a 500, then grew to a 650, then a 750, was punched out again to an 850 in 1973. Within a few short years it would be consigned to the history, along with every other classic British motorcycle. ABOVE: The John Player Norton resulted from the British cigarette company's sponsorship of Norton's racing efforts. While looking the part of a true race machine, they were in fact stock Commandos underneath. A NEW NORTON? Rumors have been circulating about the rebirth of Norton, along the same lines as the new Triumph Motorcycles. In 1998, Norton Motors GmbH of Germany produced a limited number of bikes under license to call them Nortons & commemorate 100 years of Norton motorcycle production. The Norton Supermono C652SM International used a 652cc Rotax single cylinder engine (same as in the BMW 650 singles) & a British-made Tigcraft frame. Currently, a new UK company, Norton Motorcycles Ltd.

has just produced (April 2010) a limited run of 200 of the Norton Commando 961. This 961cc pushrod parallel twin is a new design by MCT & boasts 80 hp. I have personally seen two samples up close, one yellow, the other black. Both were stunning-looking bikes, totally modern & yet instantly recognizable as a Norton. Norton's SMALLER TWINS NORTON JUBILEE, 1958-1965 Named to honor Norton's Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary) the 249cc Jubilee arose from a change in British law in 1958, limited all new motorcyclists to no more than 250cc displacement. Overnight, this created an entire new market, and a very desirable one at that, considering that all those new riders who trained on a Norton might graduate up to a new Norton Atlas someday. The layout was a complete departure from normal Norton practice. Besides being the smallest engine Norton would ever make, it was also the first with Unit-Construction (ie: the engine and gearbox contained in the same unitized housing).

Bert Hopwood, who would later move to Triumph and among many other things, helped to design the 3-cylinder Trident , designed the Jubilee's compact 249cc air-cooled parallel twin engine, which proved problematic from the start. It used a frame and gearbox from older motorcycles in parent-company AMC 's inventory, and the forks, wheels and brakes were straight off a Francis-Barnett. With just 16 horsepower (which needed high revs to achieve) and 300 pounds of curb weight to pull, it wasn't very fast. But, it was a good looking bike, probably more so than just about any other 250cc offering at the time, and it had the panache of the Norton name. NORTON NAVIGATOR, 1960-1965 The Jubilee's 249cc engine was bored and stroked-out to 349cc, bumping engine output to 22 horsepower and the top speed to 80 mph. They came dressed out in a"bathtub"-style enclosed rear section, heavily valanced fenders, and could add optional fairing, windscreen, leg guards and panniers.

As such, it had an almost fully-enclosed look, which was quite popular in England at the time. Norton Motorcycles MODEL-BY-MODEL 750cc: 1969-1973 850cc: 1973-1975 Seminal Norton Motorcycle, the Norton Commando started out with a Norton Atlas 750cc engine, slanted it forward for a new look, then dropped it into a whole new type of frame, with Isolastic Suspension to fight vibration. A huge hit for Norton. 350cc & 500cc SOHC: 1947-1949 350cc & 500cc DOHC: 1949-1963 By the late 1940s, singles were being outclassed by the new twins on the racetrack. The Norton Manx got a new lease on life with the Featherbed Frame in 1950. Manx's dominated the Isle of Man TT & GP races all over Europe. Lots of eye-popping, large-format photos of all the gorgeous Norton Motorcycles we've loved through the years.

Manx Nortons, ES2's, Commandos, Atlas's, Production Racers & more, they're all here. Including some studio-quality photos that our CBM crew took at bike shows.

Check out these NORTON BOOKS NORTON COMMANDO: THE COMPLETE STORY THE UNAPPROACHABLE NORTON NORTON COMMANDO: ESSENTIAL BUYERS GUIDE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NORTON MOTORCYCLES, by Roy Bacon NORTON COMMANDO SHOP MANUAL, Haynes NORTON COMMANDO: ULTIMATE PORTFOLIO NORTON FACTORY WORKSHOP MANUAL, 1957-1970 NORTON ILLUSTRATED MOTORCYCLE LEGENDS: NORTON by Roy Bacon NORTON 500, 600, 650 & 750 TWINS WORKSHOP MANUAL, Haynes NORTON MOTORCYCLES FROM 1950-1986 NORTON DOMINATOR PERFORMANCE PORTFOLIO 1949-1970 ILLUSTRATED NORTON BUYERS GUIDE, by Roy Bacon NORTON, COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY NORTON TWIN RESTORATION, by Roy Bacon THE NORTON STORY NORTON FACTORY REPAIR HANDBOOK, 750 & 850 COMMANDO NORTON ROTARIES

 BOOK OF THE NORTON 1938-1956 BOOK OF THE NORTON DOMINATOR MANX NORTON BOOK OF THE NORTON OHV SINGLES, 1955-1963 NORTON: THE COMPLETE HISTORY NORTON SINGLES 1927-1966, by Roy Bacon BOOK OF NORTON, ILLUSTRATED SHOP MANUAL 1932-1939, by Clymer NORTON- THE RACING STORY NORTON TWINS, by Roy Bacon NORTON TWINS REPAIR MANUAL, Haynes NORTON ROTARIES MOTOR CYCLES History History Twin tube chassis.

Cast outrigger and headstock Öhlins NIX 30 front suspension. Öhlins TTXGP Norton bespoke rear suspension Radially mounted Brembo Monobloc Forged aluminium wheels with carbon option Race spec under seat carbon-fibre fuel tank Gold line axial front brake calipers Conventional style handlebars Integral brake and clutch master cylinders Steel chain guard Head office & production History Norton has long enjoyed a unique place in motorcycle history and continues to draw inspiration from the past whilst building on the Norton legacy for the future. Enjoy a more detailed history of the Norton name by clicking along the timeline below. 1898 The 1898 James Lansdowne Norton (known to all as 'Pa') founded Norton as a manufacturer of "fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade." 1900-1910 By 1902 the first Norton motorcycles were being produced using French and Swiss engines. In 1907 Rem Fowler won the Isle of Man twin cylinder class riding a Norton, the beginning of a strong racing tradition. Success in the very first Isle of Man TT race, followed by wins at Brooklands and other European races, helped cement Norton's reputation as a builder of serious road and race bikes.

1908 saw the company produce the first Norton engined bike, powered by a single cylinder side valve unit and by 1909 Norton motorcycles were on sale in Harrods! 1910-1930 The famous Norton logo, designed by Pa Norton and his daughter Ethel, appeared on the front of the 1914 catalogue and from 1916 Norton Motorcycles carried it on their tanks. In 1925 JL 'Pa' Norton died aged just 56, but not before he saw his motorcycles win the Senior and sidecar TTs in 1924, with the 500cc Model 18, Norton's first overhead valve single. 1930-1950 By the mid 1930s Norton was producing over 4,000 road bikes annually. Between the wars Norton won the Isle of Man Senior TT race ten times and, between 1930 and 1937, won 78 out of 92 Grand Prix races.

With the onset of the second world war Norton withdrew from racing but between 1937 and 1945 manufactured almost 100,000 sidevalve motorcycles (almost a quarter of all military motorcycles) as their contribution to the war effort. The company enjoyed further TT victories every year from 1947-1954. 1950-1960 1949 saw the introduction of the twin cylinder Dominator, whilst in 1950 the Featherbed frame was introduced. Lightweight but strong, it was fitted to the Manx Nortons to help negotiate the turns of the Isle of Man track, improving the bikes' handling and contributing to further race success. By 1951 the Dominator and other Norton Cafe Racers were available with the Featherbed frame and its success meant that demand for more traditional frames rapidly diminished. By the end of the 1952 season, Geoff Duke riding for Norton, was the world champion in both the 350cc and 500cc classes and was awarded the OBE.

1960-1980 The 1961 Earls Court motor show heralded the introduction of the Commando, with the engine unit 'isolastically' insulated from the frame for a smooth, vibration-free ride. In the next decade over 500,000 were produced and sold and the Commando was named Motor Cycle News readers 'Machine of the Year' for five successive years. In the 1970s Norton raced under the sponsorship of John Player and the commercial success of the Commando was underlined by the 'Norton Girls' campaign. However this was the decade where the prevalence of Japanese models saw Norton, alongside other great British marques, driven to the brink of extinction. The last Commando was produced in 1976. 1980-2000 In the 1980s the company went through several incarnations - the rights to the name were split between several companies in several countries.

The brand was relaunched in Lichfield in 1988 and in 1989 Norton made an emphatic return to racing when Steve Spray won the British Superbike Championship on the all-black JPS bike, a victory repeated in 1994 by Ian Simpson on the Duckhams Norton. The commercial market was slower, though the Wankel engined Interpol 2 motorcycle was popular with police forces and the RAC. This led to the creation of a civilian model called the Classic. In 1992 Steve Hislop, on an ABUS Norton, defeated Carl Fogarty, riding a Yamaha, to win the Isle of Man Senior TT, recording the first victory for a British bike for almost 30 years. 2000-Present Norton moved to its current home at Donington Park in 2008 and in 2009 CEO Stuart Garner set the World Speed Record for a Rotary Powered Motorcycle (recording 173mph for a timed mile). The first Commando 961SE was delivered in 2010 and the success of the Commando 961 sees Norton Motorcycles return to production.

In 2012 Norton returned to race the TT with the SG1 and after promising results in 2013, the 2014 season and the long term future look bright! Vintage Norton Restoration | Restore Vintage Norton Motorcycle Vintage Norton Custom Paint & Body Work Here at the motorcycle division of Linear Automotive our painters are artists that take pride in giving a vintage motorcycle a great paint job for everyone to admire. Our shop uses the best materials and has a great facility to ensure you get the best paint job as we provide only the best to give you a top notch custom paint job. When restoring a vintage motorcycle, reconditioning or replacing decals, reflectors, and tank badges, while painting new pinstripes can give the bike a brand new look. Parts of the bike that can be painted are: fuel tank, front fender, rear fender, side covers, frame and more in order to make the bike look like it just got off the showroom floor. In order to restore the tank it may involve interior stripping, epoxy primer, MIG welding, acid etch primer, sealing the tank, TIG welding, brazing, dent removal and more in order to restore the tank.

Parts that can be chromed or polished include: brake lever, clutch lever, shocks, handlebars, oil tank, mirrors, racks, exhaust pipes, reflectors, engine covers and more in order to refurbish a vintage bike. Vintage Norton Suspension Norton vintage motorcycle reconditioning would not be complete without a full suspension rebuild to ensure the motorcycle handles and rides like it just came from the factory. Our team of vintage motorcycle mechanics can disassemble the suspension to rebuild or replace parts that include but are not limited to shocks, shock absorbers, forks, steering bearing, rear springs, shock springs, rear suspension linkage kit, shock seal head assemblies, shock rebound separator valves, shock seals, kick stand, fork seal kits, front fork springs, complete front ends, front fork seals, damping rod bushings, fork tube caps, fork bushings, fork boots, fork tube clamps, and much more to give your vintage Norton motorcycle a fresh fell that rides perfect. Vintage Norton Motorcycle Wheels & Tires Our Vintage Motorcycle Restoration techs know that the one thing that is providing a smooth ride is a good set of wheels and tires. The vintage motorcycle mechanics can give your wheels and tires for a complete inspection to guarantee rider safety.

Parts that can be reconditioned or replaced include but are not limited to wheels, rims, spokes, swingarm, wheel bearings and seals, wheel weights, rim strips, rim locks, valve stems, valve cores, valve stem grommets, valve stem caps, tires, tubes, chain, sprockets, and much more to give the rider a safe reliable vintage Norton motorcycle. Vintage Norton Motorcycle Brake Service The experts at our facility can completely recondition vintage Norton motorcycles brakes to ensure optimal braking for our customers. The Norton vintage motorcycle mechanics can carefully check and inspect all brake parts that include but are not limited to brake rotors, brake pads, brake shoes, brake drums, brake calipers, brake caliper seals, brake caliper pistons, brake lines, brake bleeder nipple caps, brake cables, brake bleeder nipples, and much more in order to have a safe vintage Norton motorcycle that stops like it did when it was brand new. Vintage Norton Motorcycle Fuel & Air System Getting the right air to fuel mixture is always important in vintage Norton motorcycles. When our vintage motorcycle techs refurbish vintage motorcycles they go through the whole fuel and air system in order to provide a great running reconditioned vintage Norton motorcycle.

The whole fuel and air system is checked to see if any parts need to be rebuilt or replaced that include but are not limited to carburetor housing, choke assembly, jet kit, reed valve, fuel pump, accelerator pump, pilot jets, main jets, jet needles, needle and seat, needle jet, e-ring, fuel line, carburetor mounting flanges, carburetor floats and pins, air filter, fuel filter, and much more in order to provide a smooth running fuel and air system for vintage Norton motorcycles. Tanks are gone through and checked for rust or holes and if any is found then the tank is cleaned, prepped, and sealed in order to make it ready for use. Vintage Norton Motorcycle Exhaust While the entire vintage Norton motorcycle is taken apart the techs evaluate the exhaust system to see if a new one is needed. If there are holes or damage found they will replace it to give it a brand new look to go along with its great sound. Chroming the exhaust will bring a shine to it while polishing it will give it a nice clean look. In some cases taping up the exhaust is done for a more retro look.

Vintage Norton Motorcycle Seat Get your seats reconditioned or replaced with a nice selection of foams and materials to choose from. If you are looking for original looking seats our vintage motorcycle techs can make it look like it is fresh off the assembly line. For a more custom look pick out what kind of material and foam you want for a soft plush ride. Click Below For More Manufacturers Norton Manx Motorcycle | eBay Norton Manx Motorcycle Model kit - Requires Construction & Painting. Model details. Paint & Glue is NOT supplied. KH Norton Group. Why Buy From Us . GREECE - CROATIA - LATVIA - ROMANIA - NORWAY - LITHUANIA - 39 GBP. ESTONI... Condition: | 467 sold These are full colour, outdoor suitable stickers and are produced on outdoor grade gloss or semi gloss vinyl of either 75 or 100 grade. Outdoor use solvent inks are used throughout for long life and f... | 168 sold These stickers are cut vinyl stickers, and have no background to them (i.e. the white oblongs in the photograph are not part of the sticker). They are supplied with pre-fitted application tape ready f...

| 32 sold Small Metal Wall Sign. Small Metal / Tin Signs. Large Metal / Tin Signs. Medium Metal / Tin Signs. Made by: The Original Metal Sign Co. Will look good anywhere, inside or outside, in any room or garag... Buy it now + £3.95 P&P Reproduced from the original oil painting by British artist Steve Dunn, this is a signed, numbered, Limited Edition print. Only 50 will ever be made at this, the largest size and the print will be sup... Buy it now + £3.25 P&P CLASSIC NORTON MOTORCYCLE FRAME AIRTYRE FOOT PUMP FOR FRAME. The Foot Pump is “Sprung Loaded”, this holds the pump in place on the frame between the two fixing points AS ORIGINAL. NOT A GENERAL ALL PU... | 169 sold A pair of NORTON World Champions 'Garland' stickers. Just web search 'I Say Ding Dong' to find us. They are made from long life professional grade vinyl cut to shape around the flags and are rated at ... Buy it now + £4.50 P&P Manx piston, stamped '75.9' & 'RR58' & 'BWQ'.

It's used but looks to be in generally sound condition with minimal marks to the sides & skirt. No gudgen pin, circlips or rings, just a bare piston. + £2.75 P&P 12 watching Norton Motorcycle Toolkit Grease Gun with clips for external mounting -- and instructions. Early Nortons carried a Grease Gun externally mounted on the machine's near side frame using two clips as sho... Buy it now + £3.50 P&P Monza Fuel / Oil Tank Cap. Car & Motor Cycle Oil & Fuel tanks. 2" Monza Polished Alloy Filler Cap. Including AJS, BSA, Norton, Matchless. to fit Monza caps. Triumph, Triton, Harris, Maxton. Monza caps... Buy it now Free P&P Between 1930 and 1937 Norton won 78 of the 92 Grand Prix races. Single Cylinder - 1951. Model Specifications. | 5 sold | 156 sold A set of 4 NORTON stickers. These are full colour, outdoor suitable stickers and are produced on outdoor grade gloss or semi gloss vinyl of either 75 or 100 grade.

Outdoor use solvent inks are used th... Buy it now Free P&P Hand Crafted Metal wall sign vivid colours. Pre-drilled in each corner for easy wall mounting. Great quality and British made. Buy it now + £0.75 P&P A pair of Silver Norton world champions with crossed flags &garland Stickers. Pre cut ( Diecut ) Peel & Stick. Qty x 1 Pair. The Turquoise Background is not part of the sticker. The key is shown for t... Buy it now + £1.00 P&P NORTON MANX 40M. (Picture frame Not Included). Print Size: 160gsm (A4) 297 x 210 mm or 11.7 x 8.3 in. All my prints capture the full detail of the motorcycle. Buy it now + £0.62 P&P This ia an original Card. the size of this card is approx 90mm x 50mm. Card Set Called ' Classic British MotorCycles of the 1950's & 1960's '. Condition of card is: Very Good - Excellent.

Buy it now Free P&P Norton Manx 500cc OHC. Read all about the development of these machinesWikipedia, Norton Manx. Super picture of a. 0 bids + £2.80 P&P Here we have (I believe) a rare Manx Norton Mirror approx 300mm x 220mm, very slight damage to the bottom right hand corner as shown in the photo. (Not the best photo's as it's not easy to take) Norvil Motorcycles - Identify Your Bike Please Quote Your Model, Year, Engine Number & Chassis Number On ALL Orders Placed With Us. Please Also Tell Us About Any Modifications That Have Been Made To Your Bike That Could Affect Spares Suitability. UK Residents With Historic Vehicles Need To Read This In the UK, there is now a 40 year rolling exemption for vehicle excise duty (bike tax) on classic vehicles. If your bike is 40 years old or older then the bike should be tax exempt. YOU MUST STILL TAX THE VEHICLE OR DECLARE IT AS OFF-ROAD USING A "SORN" DECLARATION FORM. Failure to do either will result in a fine.

Legislation that came into force on January 1st 2004, stated that any vehicle not Taxed or SORNed, will lose it's right to it's "Original Registration" mark. How would your bike look with a ghastly yellow and black "Q" plate. You have been warned......... From 1946 to 1974 Norton machines had matching engine and frame numbers. Commando's after engine number 307311 have frame numbers that start from F100000. Code No 1962 norton dominator model 99 Values | Hagerty Valuation Tool® Model Overview History of the 1949-1966 Norton Dominator Designer Bert Hopwood had his hand in most of the mid-century vertical twins that changed the British motorcycle industry. He started with Val Page at Ariel in 1936, worked under Edward Turner on the 1937 500 cc Triumph Speed Twin and then went back to work for Page again in 1948 to improve the 500cc BSA A7 twin.

In 1947, Hopwood also worked for Norton on the 497 cc Dominator twin, which struggled to pull a heavy prewar frame on 6.75:1 compression ratio designed for “pool” petrol. It was smooth but slow, which was just as well as the handling was not great. The Dominator engine was a 360-degree, long-stroke twin with a single camshaft in the front of the engine. The rocker box was integral with the head, which meant one less gasket to leak. In 1952, however, the Dominator 88 got Rex McCandless’s new “featherbed” frame, which had been developed for the racing Norton Manx in 1951. It was made by Reynolds, as Norton did not have the welding equipment. Light and strong, the featherbed revolutionized the industry and delivered excellent handling. The “Dommie” engine still only put out 29 bhp, so some enthusiasts took matters into their own hands and fitted more powerful Triumph twins to create the first Tritons.

The Norton Dominator 88 was the first production roadster to get the featherbed chassis and the model was updated through the 1950s, with alloy cylinder head and full-width hubs in 1955, then welded rear swing-arm sub-frame, alternator electrics and coil ignition. For 1956, the 600 cc Dominator 99 was introduced. The extra 100 cc meant that the magic “ton” (100 mph) was firmly in reach, and the model became a favorite of Rockers, who fitted clip-on bars, alloy tanks, cutaway fenders and megaphone exhausts. The narrow “slimline” frame was fitted in 1960, with the top rails closer together; two-tone paint schemes were introduced, and a large metal tank badge added. The 650cc Manxman was built in 1960 and 1961 for the U.S. market. It had high cruiser bars, a bright blue tank and a red seat with white piping.

In September 1961 the 650 cc Super Sports was launched and the 600 cc Dominator 99 was discontinued, followed by the 500 cc Dommie 88 in 1963. The faster SS continued through 1966, with twin carburetors and flat bars, though alternator/coil ignition was dropped in 1962. Norton was still wedded to the Manx single for racing and the racing Dominator, called the Domiracer, never received whole-hearted support or development. The bikes still proved quite competitive, though, and Tom Phillis managed the first 100 mph lap of the Isle of Man on a pushrod twin in 1961, finishing third in the Senior TT. When the Domiracer shop closed in 1962, ace tuner Paul Dunstall bought the spares and continued to develop the bikes, even selling a Dunstall Norton to Steve McQueen.

1962 norton dominator model 99 Info Body Styles Norton Dominator Norton Dominator CROWDED MARKET The Norton Dominator was Norton’s entry into the crowded vertical twin market, & it was intended to capitalize on the success of, & hopefully steal some sales from, the trend-setting Triumph Speed Twin. When it was introduced in 1949, the 500cc Dominator Model 7 was a handsome enough machine. The new engine was a non-unit (separate engine, primary & gearbox) vertical twin that generally followed convention for a British motorcycle at the time. It was designed by Bert Hopwood who had worked on the Speed Twin project while working for Triumph Motorcycles. NEW ENGINE - FRAME COMBO In fact, when it came to the Dominator’s frame, Norton opted for the same trick that Edward Turner pulled when he created the Speed Twin: Put the new twin engine in the old single frame. However, the single cylinder bike that Norton borrowed the frame from was the ES2, which was essentially a low-volume, hand-built bike. This stuck the new Norton Dominator with a high price relative to the competition & as the result, sales were slow.

But, Norton was in the heavy twin business & this engine would be stretched & massaged & kept in service for over a quarter century. OFF TO A SLOW START So, Norton’s legacy of twins got off to a bit of a slow start. And on top of that ES2 frame being expensive, it was also primitive, still relying on the archaic ‘plunger’ rear suspension instead of a modern swing arm setup. At least it had long Roadholder telescopic forks with 7-inch brakes. Interestingly, this stone-age frame survived the 1952 introduction of the revolutionary, trend-setting Featherbed frame (with swing arm rear suspension) on the new Dominator 88 until it was replaced on the Dominator Model 7 line in 1953. At the time, it was believed that the Featherbed was unsuitable for sidecar duty, where the old plunger frame was actually preferred. 1954 brought a much-needed 8-inch front brake. A LEGENDARY RACING FRAME When the Featherbed finally did arrive, the humble Dominator Model 7 (1949-56) was instantly transformed into a world class road warrior.

The Featherbed was indeed one of the finest racing chassis in the world at that time, truly in a class to itself. The fact that the legendary Featherbed trickled down directly from racing to the general public is a textbook example of the lexicon: “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”. It certainly worked for Norton Motorcycles & every machine that rolled off the assemblyline with one. FEATHERBED HITS THE STREETS The 500 twin engine of the Model 7 in a new Featherbed Frame made such a quantum leap forward that it became a whole new model, the Norton Dominator 88, which ran from 1952-63. By 1956 the relentless quest for more power led to the first step in a litany of boost in displacement. The Norton Dominator 99 (1956-62) was the 596cc version of the old 500 Model 7. It was called a 600, of course.

THE DOMINATORY FAMILY The Norton Dominator family of motorcycles soldiered on in two forms, the Dominator 88 & the Dominator 99 until replaced by the new Norton Atlas line in 1962, with some overlap of production into the 1963 model year. The Norton Dominator really started the Norton twin legacy that ended with the legendary Norton Commando, one of the greatest Classic British Motorcycle ever built, a span of over a quarter of a century. Today, Norton motorcycles are among the most prized & sought-after Classic British Motorcycles. Norton Dominator Model 7 - 1949-1956 The 'Plunger'-style rear suspension is clearly visible here on this 1951 Norton Dominator Model 7. While the humble Dominator Model 7 never got the Featherbed Frame, it did receive a new rear frame section with swing arm suspension in 1953, along with a new 19-inch front wheel.

ENGINE At the heart of the Norton Dominator Model 7 was an engine that was so ‘right’ (by the standard of the day, anyway) that it survived & prospered through 5 different displacements (500, 600, 650, 750 & 850) & 3 major model changes (Dominator, Atlas & Commando) spanning some 27 model years. Toward the end of its life, stretched to its limits & beyond at 828cc (850 Commando), it wasn’t so much that it was still in service because it was such a perfect design, but more a matter of the limited resources the factory had to work with. They simply couldn’t afford a replacement. BERT HOPWOOD DESIGN The Bert Hopwood-designed engine follows the standard British vertical twin paradigm of the day, a 497cc vertical twin with 360-degree crank, central flywheel & 2-piece conrods with shell-type plain bearings. One chain-driven camshaft sat high in the crankcase just ahead of the cylinder block. The pushrods passed through a tunnel between the cylinders, operating rocker arms.

Early dynamo-equipped bikes had a gear on the cam driving the dynamo which sat in the traditional position, in front of the engine. On early bikes, a magneto living behind the cylinders provided ignition. It was driven by a chain that ran forward to the same intermediate gear that drove the cam chain. All of this was contained behind an attractive “Y” shaped polished alloy timing chest. The fact that Hopwood also worked at BSA could be why the Norton twin bears at least a superficial resemblance to a pre-unit BSA A7/A10 twin. Norton Dominator 88 - 1952-1963 The Norton Dominator 88 is what you get when you drop a Norton 500cc vertical twin engine from a Dominator Model 7 into a Featherbed Frame. It ended up being the best-handling production motorcycle on Earth & it dominated racing both on the street & the track for the next decade. The Featherbed not only had excellent geometry, gleaned from years of racing experience, they were extremely rigid, allowing none of the chassis flex that was so common to motorcycles of the era. Early swing-arm Triumphs flexed so badly that they became known by the nickname “Whip Iron”.

The secret behind the Featherbed’s great strength & light weight was that it was made up mostly of two loops of tubing running unbroken forming the 2 cradles with the ends meeting at the neck. Unusual at the time, the double backbones tied into the bottom of the steering head & the front downtubes passed between them & made their way to the top of the steering head. Race-inspired, it worked great except that it was found the frame would bend at the neck if bumped into a curb, something that never occurred in racing so it wasn't allowed for. A reinforcing gusset was installed & the problem was solved. They formed the 2 front downtubes, engine cradle, seat post & double backbone. Properly cross-braced it was incredibly light & had a very unusual look to it, compared to other British bikes of the day with conventional single backbones. The rear subframe was bolted at first, then later welded to the mainframe. And most importantly, the crucial area around the swingarm pivot was heavily braced. BETTER HANDLING, MUCH BETTER So, in the end, in theory the Dominator 88 wasn’t any faster than the Model 7 in a straight line.

It just handled better...much better...much, much better. I mean, c’mon here, we’re talking about the Featherbed, one of the only motorcycle frames with a name, for crying out loud! The only other ones that spring to mind (“Whip Iron”, “Duplex”) are all remembered for their crapiness. FINALLY REPLACED BY ISOLASTIC Interestingly, when the Featherbed was finally replaced in 1967 by the revolutionary new Norton Commando frame with patented Isolastic Suspension, the frame’s designer, former Rolls Royce engineer Dr. Stefan Bauer believed the Featherbed’s design was fundamentally unsound. That’s why the Commando frame is so different, with its single, but large-diameter backbone. POOR QUALITY CONTROL But the Norton Dominator 88 was fast, real fast for 1953 (90mph) & had the best brakes in the business to boot. Also known as “the Deluxe”, the 88 had problems with leaky priimary cases & generally poor quality control, demonstrating just how outdate & inefficient Norton’s production methods were.

At that time, they were barely pumping out 200 Dominator 88’s a week, so it’s not like they couldn’t keep up with QC. NORTON FEATHERBED FRAME Norton Featherbed Frame, unpainted. All welded construction was a departure from the standard practice of brazing tubing into cast lugs. Notice how the frame tubes that form the double engine cradle are each made of a single piece of tubing, bent into a near-complete circle. They begin & end at the steering head. This simple design, along with lots of high-strength steel, made for a very rigid, yet very light frame. The geometry had been worked out through years of GP road racing in Europe & England including their stunning win at the 1949 Isle of Man TT with a Featherbed-framed Norton Manx. This frame was so good that people dropped other types of engines in them, such as Triumphs & Vincents. Norton Dominator 99 - 1956-1962 The Norton Dominator 99 was essentially a 500cc Model 88 punched out to 600cc (596cc to be exact).

This combined with a higher compression ratio added up to 31hp. MORE POWER, SCOTTY! Norton's image, thanks largely to the Featherbed frame & wins at the Isle of Man TT, was that of a high-performance motorcycle. The US market, the world's largest by far & a huge part of Norton's sales, demanded more & more power. Norton had to comply to compete. They responded with constant bumps in engine displacement & other tweaks to pull more out of the venerable twin. They already had the best frame, they were years ahead of the competition here, they just had to keep massaging the engine to remain competitive. The Model 99 bridged the gap between the 500cc progenitor and the 650cc Dominator SS, which would soldier on in the Norton Atlas. Norton Dominator 77 - 1956-1958 The Norton Dominator 77 was introduced in 1956 because of an ongoing belief that the Featherbed Frame was unsuitable for sidecar use.

So, the Dominator 77 used a swing-arm version of the old brazed-lug ES2 frame & the 596cc (600) twin engine from the Dominator 99. SIDECARS OK By 1957 it was clear that the Featherbed could handle sidecars & certain modifications were made to facilitate it. So the need for the Model 77 was now eliminated & it went out of production by 1958. Norton Dominator 650SS - 1962-1969 NORTON DOMINATOR 650SS, 1962-69 In 1962 the Norton Dominator 650SS was the hot ticket. The Featherbed frame was narrowed along the top rails creating what would be called a "Slimline Featherbed". The engine displacement was increased again to 650cc and a special twin carb head was installed resulting in a top speed in excess of 110mph. The 'SS' stood for Sport Special. Once they started building 650s, there didn't seem to be much point to continuing to produce 600s.

So 600 production was dropped to concentrate on the new 650. Norton Dominator YEAR-BY-YEAR Norton Unveils Beautifully Badass Update of Classic Dominator Bike - Maxim Norton Unveils Beautifully Badass Update of Classic Dominator Bike Finally, a retro cafe racer reboot worth getting revved up for. Avatar: Finally, a retro cafe racer reboot worth getting revved up for. 11 4 The vintage motorcycle isn’t just a piece of machinery; it’s a piece of art. New York's Guggenheim Museum made that official: It once had an exhibit, called “The Art of the Motorcycle,” that celebrated classic bikes as some of the finest examples of functional artwork ever created. Today, two-wheeled enthusiasts grumble: Why can’t we have new bikes that look as good as those classic café racers? Norton Motorcycles Ltd. has heard us. And the legendary company is building new editions of one of its most heralded models, the Dominator. Norton was once known for its Manx 500-cc single-cylinder race bike—but by 1961, chief engineer Doug Hele recognized that it would need more power to stay competitive.

He built a race bike based on the company’s Dominator 650-cc twin-cylinder street bike that was dubbed the Domiracer. Hele’s souped-up street bike finished third in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race in 1961, losing only to the Norton Manx factory race bikes. Excitement over Norton bikes would grow for decades. By 2012, though, the Norton brand needed a reboot. Seeking to rekindle the fires of the company’s glory days, it built 50 modern 961-cc twin-cylinder Domiracers, to an enthusiastic reception. Now Norton has gone in the opposite direction of the original bike’s genesis by developing a street-legal edition of the track-only Domiracer. It’s called the Dominator, and it lists for $30,900. A limited-production $38,600 Dominator SS features details like a delicious hand-welded aluminum fuel tank in place of a standard plastic tank. Both versions are a beautiful combo of a vintage-style, air-cooled, parallel-twin-cylinder engine with modern components.

In addition to the carbon-fiber bits, the Dominator features state-of-the-art Brembo radial-mounted disc brakes, Öhlins inverted forks, and a single Öhlins rear shock suspension. The Dominator does roll on old-style wire-spoke wheels, but they mount on modern Dunlop high-performance radial tires—putting its 83 horsepower to the road. Tell the Guggenheim: Artistry is back. Photos by Eric Maillet

Question: Which motorcycle company made models called the Manx, the International and the Dominator?
Answer: Norton